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Windows 7: How to stop driver from installing repeatedly

Are you experiencing the same as the OP i.e. every time a notebook boots, it creates a new entry in Device Manager e.g. "Atheros (...) Ethernet Controller #151" such that these notebooks have hundreds of hidden entries in DM (btw you clean these using DevCon)? Is the driver for the built-in NIC coming from W7, or is it a custom driver from ASUS or Atheros? Is there a newer driver for the NIC than what is on the ASUS site?

I'd be inclined to get-rid of all the "hidden" NIC entries--I wonder too if in the Registry e.g. HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\ there are zillions of entries.

You might want to consider getting one of the notebooks for yourself i.e. exchanging w/the user another laptop, or buying an identical one for test, and then starting-over from scratch with it i.e. clean install w/latest NIC chip driver and then beating the heck out of it yourself...

This link may be completely irrelevant but maybe something will arc/spark with your issue:

Hi Max. Firstly, thank-you for offering help. Really appreciated as I needed new input on a situation that has been slowly driving me insane!

I only added to this thread (instead of starting my own) as the circumstances were pretty much identical to the OP. Everytime the notebook boots it reinstalls the Ethernet Controller. Sometimes it says successful, othertimes it says failed! The driver used is the newest available from the ASUS site. Should I look for/try others?

Your suggestion regarding removing "hidden" NIC entries is good. I'm going to "borrow" one of the problem machines and remove all the entries.

As for registry (HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\)what do you suggest? Delete them all?

As for registry (HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\)what do you suggest? Delete them all?

I just looked at my own on this relatively new PC and there are 10 "Local connections" in there. I don't know why.

But I'll admit, I am grasping at straws now--looking for wierdness that might be something you could (try to) fix. No, I don't suggest you delete everything (or even anything) in there unless as I said you have "zillions" of them i.e. something is obviously amiss.

Assuming the driver you said is the "newest avail from ASUS" is FOR THIS NOTEBOOK, that is the correct one to be starting with. Failing that, I might look for drivers from the NIC chip mfr, and see if there are others you might try.

That the OP restored the system, and "problem remained" is of course not a good sign--I don't know any ASUS products but do they have a support forum themselves as clearly this notebook seems to have mfr problems?

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